Malaysian Borneo - Kuching & Semengoh Rehabilitation Centre - Travel Story
Kuching & Semengoh Rehabilitation Centre, Malaysian Borneo
Singapore -> Johor Bahru -> Kuching
Crossing the border from Singapore to Malaysia took only a few minutes and was very easy. Our bus dropped us off at the customs area, we went up an elevator, handed our passports to the local authorities, got our exit stamps and boarded the bus again.
Bahasa Malay, the local language, is very similar to Bahasa Indonesian. As I spent some time in Indonesia last year, I had the basic vocabulary, which came in handy when it came to essentials such as ordering food. Instead of flying direct from Singapore to Kuching, I took a bus from Singapore to the airport in Johor Bahru, and then flew to Kuching. This route was 1/3 cheaper than the direct route, and only took about an extra hour. It’s not at all a hassle either, as you can book your plane ticket and direct bus from Malaysian Airlines in Singapore.
Entering Kuching is like entering another country – even if you’re coming from Peninsular Malaysia. You have to clear customs once again and are given a separate tourist visa that is stamped in your passport. Malaysian Borneo officially became part of modern-day Malaysia in 1963, but it seems that old habits are hard to break – either that or local officials want to keep tabs on you in case something happens. After picking up my luggage, I contemplated taking a taxi to town, but at 20 RM versus 1 RM on the local bus, I decided to take my chance with the bus. As I stood at the stop, a local heading to town asked if I and another local wanted rides. Why not! For 3 RM he took me right to the hotel I wanted to stay at, which is always a nice thing considering the heat and the weight of my backpack. My evening was spent wandering along the new waterfront before retiring early in order to fully recharge for the big trip into the heart of the Borneo.
Kuching’s Story
Kuching is not what you might expect of a city in Borneo. Walking along the waterfront I felt like I was in some part of the Western world. About the only things reminding you that you are in Borneo are the little plaques on the boardwalk that give important historical information on the region, and the food stalls that sell typical Malaysian fare. To the west you’ll find plenty of western restaurants, including McDonalds and KFC, while to the north and east, it’s more like the ‘real’ Kuching with bustling markets, loud polluting cars and plenty of restaurants and tourist shops. Apparently, the waterfront was totally re-constructed over the past ten years, while they seemed to have left the rest of the city alone. Here is the scoop on the city’s history:
During the 19th century, Kuching was ruled by the Sultan of Brunei. If you’re geographically challenged, wealthy Brunei sits lodged between the Malaysian provinces of Sarawak, with its capital being Kuching, and Sabah. In 1836 an unpopular Governor was appointed and the citizens revolted. A wealthy Englishman named James Brooke crushed the rebellion, and he was subsequently appointed Rajah of Sarawak. Three generations of the Brooke family helped establish a government, build the city and provide general administrative functions. Kuching was occupied by the Japanese during World War II and then briefly became a British colony until 1949. In 1963 Sarawak joined Sabah and Malaya to form the new nation of Malaysia.
Semengoh Rehabilitation Centre
After visiting the sites of Kuching and arranging some travel details, I headed out of town to the Semengoh Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre. It is here that formerly captured or injured Orangutans are released into the wild and are jump started into living on their own in the jungle once again. Twice daily, food is put out for the Orangutans, but they do not always show up. This is usually a good sign as it means that they have found a way to feed themselves and are less dependent on the food provided by park officials. Lucky for me, a few Orangutans decided to show up for a big meal. For extremely large mammals, they move from tree to tree quite gracefully. The first Orangutan to show up actually passed right over my head as I made my way to the observation area. I am guessing it was a young Orangutan, as the next family of monkeys (mother, baby, and large male) gave me a good idea of the full spectrum of sizes. It is amazing how human-like these animals are. There are only four Orangutan rehabilitation centres in the world, and at least three of them are in Borneo, so this is definitely the place to see them.
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